venerdì 17 aprile 2015

Cathedral Of Sant'Emidio Ascoli

The whole world knows that Italy has some of the best churches in the world, and the Cathedral Of Sant'Emidio Ascoli is definitely one of them. Located in Ascoli Piceno, in the region of Marche, this little yet gorgeous church can be found in the Square Arringo, a place that looks like it belongs to the medieval times.

It is not known when the Cathedral Of Sant'Emidio Ascoli, which is dedicated to St. Emidio, the bishop and patron saint of the city, started being built, but it is known that it was pretty much the same it is today already in 1529. Although both the facade and the interior of the church are pretty simple, you can't deny its extreme renaissant beauty.

But there are two more monuments in the Square Arringo that were clearly created in the period of the renaissance, and it's two fountains decorated with dragons and seahorses. They were inaugurated in 1884 and were placed right next to a monument to King Victor Emmanuel II, which has since been moved to the public gardens.

In Ascoli Piceno you can also take a walk around Piazza del Popolo, which is one of the biggest and most beautiful squares in the whole of Marche. There you will come across three different important buildings which are the Palazzo dei Capitani (which represents the political faction), the Church of San Francis (which represents the religious faction) and the Loggia dei Mercanti (which represents the commercial faction of Ascoli Piceno).

There is also a castle known as the Palazzo dei Capitani right in the Piazza del Popolo, which is worth visiting, especially on a very sunny day or at night, because the lights make it look more magical. It was built in the 13th Century and, although a fire destroyed part of it in the 16th Century, it was refurbished and it's still in great conditions.

It's also worth visiting the Loggia dei Mercanti, because you will see how wool was made years ago, a tradition that many people from Ascoli Piceno still follow to this day. There you will have the chance to see extremely peculiar shops and buy some unique pieces made of wool you won't be able to find anywhere else.Photo credit: ArtInMarche.com